The End of the Road

A outdoor scene of bare, rolling fields broken by lines of leafless trees. It's daylight and the sky is overcast with dark clouds. In the centre of the scene is the only sign of civilization for miles around, a large farmhouse with a couple of outbuildings. There are trees, hedges, fences and ditches in the immediate vicinity of the farm -- sufficient to provide cover should any kind of fight develop. (Not wanting to ruin the suspense, but there's going to be a fight and DON is going to need some cover.) There is no sign that this is a "working" farm -- no livestock, no machinery, etc. A dirt road snakes in towards the buildings, ending in the yard between the farmhouse and the barn. There is a car on the road, in the distance, approaching the house. It's the car DON was driving when last seen in ISSUE 45.

1. MISSION REPORT:

Mission report: 17 December 2014.

2. MISSION REPORT:

Nebraska.

3. MISSION REPORT:

The last reported address of Doctor Henry Franklyn.

The car comes to a halt in the farmyard.

1. MISSION REPORT:

The end of the road.

DON is sitting in the car, looking out at the farmhouse. He's dressed as usual in his battered old leather flying jacket.

2. MISSION REPORT:

Franklyn was the government's leading expert on alien Krai physiology. Now the government is using Human/Krai hybrid soldiers — K-Men. It's not rocket science to figure out that if anybody knows about them it's Franklyn.

3. MISSION REPORT:

Yeah. That's why it took me so long to figure it out.

4. MISSION REPORT:

No car. Guess he's not at home.

DON is out of the car and walking towards the house. His jacket is zipped up high and his hands are tucked in the pockets. He's walking casually, evidently not expecting trouble.

5. MISSION REPORT:

Franklyn used to be a friend.

6. MISSION REPORT:

I don't know if he still is.

DON is on the porch, by the front door. We can clearly see (as can he) that the front door is slightly ajar.

No dialogue.

DON has his gun in his hand and is cautiously pushing the door open.

1. MISSION REPORT:

Okay. So who is at home?

DON is in the open doorway, using it for cover while he looks around the room. He's poised and alert -- remember, he's an old pro at this. His gun is held in two hands but pointing down.

The room is a spacious living area, well furnished, lots of "rustic" wood panelling, but fitted out with a big music system and wide-screen TV. No evidence that anybody is currently here. A pile of mail is on the doormat (though this may not be evident in this view). Stairs lead to the upper storey and doors lead into other rooms. There is a door under the stairs -- this leads down to the cellar, though this wouldn't yet be obvious to the reader.

No dialogue.

DON is crouching in the doorway. His gun is in one hand and one of the envelopes in the other hand. He looks at the letter.

1. MISSION REPORT:

He's been gone about a week.

Same crouching posture. He is running his hand over the door frame, which has been splintered where the lock should be.

2. MISSION REPORT:

And the door has been forced.

3. MISSION REPORT:

But not long ago. It rained yesterday and there's no water damage on the floor.

He is at the bottom of the stairs, wall at his back, gun still ready.

No dialogue.

DON is now at the top of the stairs. A small landing with two doors standing open.

No dialogue.

DON is coming down the stairs again. Not being so cautious now, but still with his gun in his hand.

1. MISSION REPORT:

Whoever was here is gone. But nothing has been disturbed.

2. MISSION REPORT:

Who breaks into a house and leaves again without even searching it?

DON is now at the bottom of the stairs and looking at the door to the cellar steps. He (and we) can now see that its lock has been forced open.

3. MISSION REPORT:

Somebody who already knew where to look for what they wanted.

DON has the cellar door open and is standing at the top of the stairs, looking down into darkness.

No dialogue.

Close-up of DON's hand flipping a light switch.

No dialogue.

DON is walking down the (lighted) stairs. His gun is still out and ready.

DON stands at the foot of the cellar stairs. Big panel to show the cellar. It's a spacious area and furnished as a laboratory. Various items of equipment on benches could be centrifuges, mass spectrometers, etc. There are shelves of glassware and bottles of chemicals. One complete wall is devoted to bookcases with textbooks and bound journals. Another wall has metal filing cabinets. One table holds a computer which has been torn open, its guts spilling over the bench.

No dialogue.

DON is at the bench with the computer, looking at the wreckage.

1. MISSION REPORT:

Hard drive gone. Whoever it was, they knew exactly what they wanted. Whatever Franklyn had been working on, it's gone.

2. MISSION REPORT:

And so's he.

DON looks around the room. (He is actually speaking out loud in this panel -- it's not a mistake.)

3. DON:

So much for retiring peacefully to the old farmstead in the country, Doc.

DON is now by the bookshelves. This view doesn't let the reader read any of the titles on the spines of the books.

1. DON:

Some people just don't know how to retire.

We now get a close-up of part of the bookshelf. DON is reading the spines of the tightly-packed text books, and we can plainly see their titles:

STANDARD POLYMERASE REACTIONS
ENDOCHRONIC PROPERTIES 3rd EDITION
NUCLEOTIDE CHEMISTRY
THE MAGIC OF BARRY MANILOW
COMPENDIUM OF ORGANIC REAGENTS
COMMON MUTATIONS OF BASE PAIRS

2. MISSION REPORT:

I don't have a clue what he was working on. It might not be the K-Men at all.

3. MISSION REPORT:

Maybe if I copy down all these titles, Spirit can—

4. DON:

What the—?

Close-up on DON's hand tipping the "Manilow" book forward on the shelf.

5. SFX:

click

DON watches as a section of bookcase swings open, revealing a small recess in the wall.

6. MISSION REPORT:

I don't believe it.

7. MISSION REPORT:

That could only have been left for me.

DON is reaching into the recess and taking out a bundle of discs.

8. MISSION REPORT:

Did he expect me to be looking for him? Did he think he was in danger?

DON is placing the bundle inside his jacket.

1. MISSION REPORT:

Too many things don't add up here.

2. SFX (soft):

wup wup wup wup

DON looks around the room while zipping up his jacket.

3. MISSION REPORT:

Whoever took his hard drive didn't make any effort to search for backups.

4. MISSION REPORT:

But if the data's that important, why risk other people finding it?

5. SFX (soft):

wup wup wup wup

6. MISSION REPORT:

Chopper.

Close up on DON, head on one side as if listening.

7. SFX (soft):

wup wup wup wup

8. MISSION REPORT:

Twin engine...military...

Same view, DON now looking very alarmed.

9. SFX:

wup wup wup wup

10. MISSION REPORT:

SuperCobra!

Close-up of the side weapon mount of a Marine Corps AH-1W SuperCobra attack helicopter. We don't need to show the full chopper in this view, just the fact that it is armed with missiles -- one of which is being launched (actually two are being launched but the other one will be from the other side of the chopper).

11. SFX:

wup wup wup wup

12. SFX (missile):

FWSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSH

Big splash panel of the house being struck by a pair of air-to-ground missiles. It is exploding into a huge fireball.

1. SFX:

KABOOM!

Complete change of scene now, as we show what our regular cast is getting up to. It's not anything important, but putting it here will heighten the tension over whether DON has survived the attack. (Oh, I'm so transparently devious.)

Anyway, it's Central Park in New York. JAMES and SARA, both dressed for cold weather, are walking along a wooded path. Their breath steams as they talk.

1. CAPTION:

New York.

2. CAPTION:

Central Park.

3. JAMES:

—don't know why you had to be all mysterious, Sara. What have you got to show me that you couldn't just tell me about?

4. SARA:

Trust me, James. You'll want to see this.

They have reached the end of the path, which opens out onto a large expanse of grass. We can't see what they see, yet, as we concentrate on their reactions -- JAMES is obviously surprised.

5. JAMES:

If this is going to be some kind of shoe sale—

6. JAMES:

Oh.

7. JAMES:

I see.

8. SARA:

Told you!

We can now see what they see -- in the centre of the field is a mass of construction activity as people assemble a huge marquee. In the foreground we can see a sign with some familiar text:

TEMPLE OF UNITY
HELP FOR BODY AND MIND
ALL WELCOME
FREE FOOD SERVED: 8PM

No dialogue.

In a hotel room, JAMES is holding a flyer out for the rest of the group to inspect -- they are all here, JAMES, SARA, PAUL, FRED and WANE.

1. PAUL:

We'll have to investigate.

2. JAMES:

Naturally.

Close-up on SARA.

3. SARA:

They're starting operations tomorrow night, so we'll—

4. FRED (off-panel):

Oh, no way!

Everyone turns to look at FRED, who looks disgusted.

5. FRED:

Not tomorrow!

6. SARA:

Huh?

FRED holds up an envelope.

7. FRED:

I just scored us tickets for the Granite Head gig tomorrow night!

They all look at him with "so what?" expressions.

8. FRED:

Do you know how difficult these are to get?

We are back in Nebraska. A young private in Marine Corps uniform, armed with a short-barrel HK416 carbine (held at the ready), walks slowly towards the burning wreck of the farm building. It's the K-MAN DRAKE, last seen in ISSUE 44. He wears a radio ear-piece (not greatly obvious, but relevant because we'll have a caption coming from it). He is skirting a thick hedge that forms a field boundary.

1. VOICE (from ear-piece):

Drake, sit rep.

2. DRAKE:

Nothing on the ground.

3. VOICE (from ear-piece):

Holler if you see anything. Wierbowski out.

DRAKE stops with his back to the hedge, only about a foot away from it, looking at the building. He now holds his carbine casually over one shoulder.

4. DRAKE:

Roger. Drake out.

5. DRAKE (softly):

Who's he kidding?

A pair of hands reaches out of the hedge behind him. From what little we can see, the arms seem to be dressed in a familiar leather jacket.

6. DRAKE:

There's no way anyone got out of that. We nailed Newman this time.

The hands grab DRAKE. One hand holds his gun arm, the other is round his neck. He is being pulled back into the hedge.

7. DRAKE:

Would have been nice to do it personal, though. He wouldn't have stood a chance—

8. DRAKE:

—Whulp!

Same POV -- there is no sign of DRAKE.

9. SFX:

Whump!

10. SFX:

Whack!

11. SFX:

Smack!

Identical panel. No sign of anybody.

No dialogue.

Another marine, identically armed and equipped. This is another K-MAN, ROBERT WEAVER. He is viewing the wreckage from another angle.

1. VOICE (from ear-piece):

Weaver? Smell anything?

2. WEAVER:

With this nose?

3. WEAVER:

All I can smell is smoke.

We see WEAVER from a different POV -- low-down and through grass. As if we're hiding in a ditch or something. WEAVER is very close to our POV but not looking our way.

4. WEAVER:

Let me wolf up and—

DON has burst out of cover and crashed into WEAVER with a low tackle, knocking the marine off balance.

5. WEAVER:

—Whuff!

DON and WEAVER tumble over the ground. WEAVER's firearm is flying clear.

No dialogue.

WEAVER is flat on his back. DON is astride his chest, a knee planted on each arm, effectively pinning WEAVER to the ground. DON's gun is out and pressed against WEAVER's forehead.

1. MISSION REPORT:

Private Weaver. We've met before.

2. DON:

One hint of a whisker and I'll put a bullet in you.

Same positions. WEAVER looks more angry than worried.

3. DON:

Where is she?

4. WEAVER:

Where's who?

Close-up on DON's grim face. You really believe he could pull the trigger with a wrong answer.

5. DON:

The girl. Chi-Yun.

6. WEAVER (off-panel):

The shape changer? What the hell are you talking about?

Close-up on WEAVER's face, looking genuinely puzzled.

7. DON (off-panel):

Your bunch took her. Where are you holding her?

8. WEAVER:

Man, you're crazy. We don't have her. Swear to God, we don't!

9. MISSION REPORT:

Damn it. He's not lying.

Same view. WEAVER's head hasn't moved but his eyes are looking off to one side.

No dialogue.

A second K-MAN -- this one in wolf form -- is crashing into DON from the side, knocking him clear of WEAVER.

No dialogue.

DON is on his knees and the K-MAN is in a crouch. They face one another. DON is raising his gun to point at the K-MAN.

1. MISSION REPORT:

Didn't hear him sneaking up. These things are stealthy, as well as strong and fast.

2. MISSION REPORT:

If Weaver hadn't telegraphed the move so I could roll with the attack...

Before DON can shoot or even rise to his feet, the K-MAN has lashed out with a hand (paw) and sent the gun flying from his grip.

3. SFX:

swat

4. K-MAN:

Uh-uh. No guns, Newman.

DON is on his feet, facing the crouching K-MAN who beckons him with a come-and-get-it gesture. DON's left hand is a fist but he's holding his right (gun) arm oddly, as if it's injured.

1. MISSION REPORT:

I'm probably dead now.

2. VOICE (off-panel):

Gun? That wasn't a gun.

DON and the K-Man both look towards the off-panel speaker.

3. VOICE (off-panel):

This is a gun!

Big panel to show the K-MAN being hit by a huge blast of pellets coming from the direction of the off-panel speaker. The force is hurling him away.

4. SFX:

BOOM!

We see the speaker for the first time -- and it's SEBASTIAN MAKEPEACE, last seen popping up in ISSUE #46. He's holding his huge polar-bear-hunting shotgun, and it's smoking.

1. MAKEPEACE:

The nick of time! Would have been sooner but I was trying to stay upwind!

DON is looking incredulously at MAKEPEACE. Behind MAKEPEACE, we see that WEAVER is rising to his feet -- and in the first stages of changing to wolf form (though still more human than wolf).

2. DON:

Makepeace—Look out!

3. WEAVER:

Rrrrrr—

MAKEPEACE has turned and clubbed the mostly-human WEAVER with the stock of his shotgun. WEAVER goes down.

4. SFX:

THWACK!

DON is picking up his gun (left-handed).

1. DON:

Come on, we need to get away before they wake up.

2. MAKEPEACE (off-panel):

One of them's not getting up.

3. DON:

They're tougher than they look.

MAKEPEACE is standing over the body of the K-MAN he shot and poking it with his foot. The K-MAN is unconscious and though there is blood from the shotgun wounds there is not as much as you might expect.

4. MAKEPEACE:

That was magnum buckshot.

5. DON (off-panel):

And your point is?

6. K-MAN (softly):

rrrrr

MAKEPEACE is backing away from the downed K-MAN, towards DON, his gun covering the K-MAN.

7. MAKEPEACE:

O-kay... tactical retreat.

8. DON:

Downwind of the house. The smoke will mask our scent.

The pair of them run past the burning building. In passing we should show that DON's car is also burning -- collateral damage, presumably. (It's necessary to establish that they can't just drive away.)

No dialogue.

DON and MAKEPEACE crouch in the cover of some bushes, looking out. Smoke drifts across them.

1. DON:

Not that I'm ungrateful, but what are you doing here?

2. MAKEPEACE:

I've been tracking Krai sightings for a while. Thought I should check out Franklyn's place when I heard that he was murdered—

3. DON:

He what?

They look at each other.

4. MAKEPEACE:

Shot. You didn't know?

5. DON:

I've been...traveling a lot.

6. MAKEPEACE:

You should get yourself an office like mine. He he.

Through the smoke, they watch a pair of armed K-MEN (in wolf form) walking in their rough direction.

7. MAKEPEACE (softly):

So I drove out here and saw the military and Krai activity. Figured it needed a closer look.

8. DON (softly):

You've got transport?

They both watch as the two K-MEN walk past them. The K-MEN are moving as if search, sniffing the air. But they show no sign of spotting the concealed men.

No dialogue.

DON and MAKEPEACE watch the K-MEN moving away.

1. MAKEPEACE (softly):

Not close. We're going to need some other way out.

DON is looking up into the sky.

2. MAKEPEACE:

How long have you known the Krai were back on Earth?

3. SFX:

wup wup wup wup

4. DON:

It's not Krai. It's worse.

5. MAKEPEACE:

There's something worse than Krai?

6. DON:

Long story. I'll explain if we get out of here.

Now they both look up.

7. SFX:

wup wup wup wup

8. MAKEPEACE:

Even if we avoid the Krai, there's still that Huey.

In a long distance view of the area, we see the helicopter circling at low altitude. MAKEPEACE's caption will come from the area of cover they are hiding in -- we can't see the men in this view, of course.

9. MAKEPEACE:

Say—

Back to the men in the hiding place. MAKEPEACE is now looking at DON. DON still watches the sky.

10. MAKEPEACE:

—Can you fly one of those?

11. DON:

I can fly anythi—

DON looks back at MAKEPEACE in horror.

12. DON:

Oh, no! You're not serious—?

The helicopter is flying fast and straight away from the scene.

1. VOICE (from cockpit):

Nobody is going to believe how we did that!

We now see into the cockpit, and DON and MAKEPEACE are flying it. (To be specific, DON is flying it. MAKEPEACE is just along for the ride. The helicopter has two seats, one behind and slightly above the other, and it's the pilot who sits in the rear seat.)

2. MAKEPEACE:

Best not tell them then. He he!

3. DON:

We don't have the fuel to reach Canada. Anywhere else you have in mind?

4. MAKEPEACE:

You choose, it's your country.

Another exterior view sees the chopper racing into the distance.

5. MISSION REPORT:

Where do I go? All this has gotten me is more questions and no answers.

6. MISSION REPORT:

If the K-Men don't have Chi-Yun, I don't know who has.

7. MISSION REPORT:

This was my only lead.

The chopper recedes into a distant speck.

8. MISSION REPORT:

It's the end of the road.

The small, shabby apartment of MIKE DOYLE. DOYLE is there, seated on the bed, leaning against the headboard. He's staring moodily into space. A large glass of whiskey is in his hand. A half-empty bottle is on the nightstand, next to a phone.

1. MISSION REPORT:

I'm sorry, Chi-Yun.

Same scene. DOYLE throws back his drink in one mouthful.

No dialogue.

DOYLE puts the empty glass down next to the bottle.

2. DOYLE:

Ah, hell.

DOYLE is speaking into the phone.

3. DOYLE:

Pol? Pull the file on those kids for me. Yeah, the L.A. snatch. Everything you've got.

Close up of DOYLE.

4. DOYLE:

'Cause something don't feel right.